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Definition of Race-based drug
Medically reviewed by Min Clinic Staff | Updated: January 2026
Race-based drug: A drug designed for a particular racial group. The first race-based drug was BiDil, a combination of two old drugs that increase levels of nitric oxide. BiDil was tested in African-Americans and reported in 2004 to reduce deaths from heart disease. The very concept of race-based therapy is highly controversial. While some black cardiologists hailed BiDil, others have seen it as nothing but a marketing ploy, using race rather than science to tailor therapies.